1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a treading exerciser with a heart beat monitoring capability, more particularly to a treading exerciser with a removable grip member which has a sensor unit for detecting the heart beat of the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional treading exerciser is shown to comprise a treading base 1, an upright post 2, and a control panel 3.
The treading base 1 has a top side 101, a bottom side 103 opposite to the top side 101 and adapted to be disposed on a ground surface, a front end, and a rear end opposite to the front end. The treading base 1 is provided with a tread belt device 102 that extends between the front and rear ends and that is exposed from the treading base 1 at the top side 101 so as to be adapted to be treaded by the user. The bottom side 103 is provided with a plurality of leg members 104 having casters 105 mounted thereon.
The upright post 2 has a lower portion connected to the front end of the treading base 1, and an upper portion opposite to the lower portion. The upper portion of the upright post 2 has a handle unit that includes a pair of handle members 202 extending therefrom.
The control panel 3 has a top face 301, which is provided with a plurality of control keys 302 and a display unit 303. The lower part of the control panel 3 is formed with a pair of recesses 304. Each of the recesses 304 has a grip bar 305 provided therein. One of the grip bars 305 is provided with a grip member 306, which has a sensor unit 307 mounted thereon for detecting the heart beat of the user.
In use, the feet of the user tread on the tread belt device 102, whereas the hands of the user are normally placed on the handle members 202. With further reference to FIG. 3, when the user wishes to monitor his/her heart beat, the user moves his/her hands from the handle members 202 to the grip bars 305. The sensor unit 307 on the grip member 306 then detects the heart beat of the user, and generates a corresponding electrical signal that is provided to the control panel 3. The control panel 3 provides the heart beat information on the display unit 303 thereof.
Although the conventional treading exerciser has the function of detecting the heart beat of the user, the grip member 306 with the sensor unit 307 for detecting the heart beat is mounted fixedly on the grip bar 305. As such, when the user wishes to monitor his/her heart beat during the course of treading exercise, the running posture of the user will be adversely restricted due to the need to grip the grip bars 305, thereby resulting in user discomfort. Moreover, inaccurate monitoring of the heart beat of the user easily occurs because movement of the hands of the user relative to the grip bars 305 normally happens during the course of treading exercise.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a treading exerciser with a removable grip member which has a sensor unit for detecting the heart beat of the user, thereby overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.
Accordingly, the treading exerciser of the present invention comprises:
a treading base having a top side, a bottom side opposite to the top side and adapted to be disposed on a ground surface, a front end, and a rear end opposite to the front end, the treading base being provided with a tread belt device that extends between the front and rear ends and that is exposed from the treading base at the top side so as to be adapted to be treaded by the user;
an upright post having a lower portion connected to the front end of the treading base, and an upper portion opposite to the lower portion;
a control panel mounted on the upper portion of the upright post;
a grip retainer mounted on the upper portion of the upright post;
a grip member retained removably on the grip retainer and adapted to be gripped by one hand of the user treading on the tread belt device, the grip member having a sensor unit mounted thereon and adapted to detect heart beat of the user and to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the heart beat; and
an electrical cable unit having one end connected to the sensor unit and an opposite end connected to the control panel, thereby enabling the control panel to receive the electrical signal from the sensor unit and to monitor the heart beat of the user.
Because the grip member is retained removably on the upright post via the grip retainer, the user of the treading exerciser can readily and comfortably monitor his/her heart beat by gripping the grip member during the course of treading exercise.